POROUS POLYMER MONOLITHS, PROCESSES FOR PREPARATION AND USE THEREOF

• US 20120276576A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Tasmania
• Original Assignee: University of Tasmania
• Inventors: Haddad, Paul Raymond, Hilder, Emily Frances, Candish, Esme, Bayliss, Mark A.J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,475,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/29
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/261 obtained by reactions only involving carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds per se C08F
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/264 derived from different types of monomers, e.g. linear or branched copolymers, block copolymers, graft copolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/267 Cross-linked polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28042 Shaped bodies; Monolithic structures
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28057 Surface area, e.g. B.E.T specific surface area
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28083 being in the range 2-50 nm, i.e. mesopores
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28085 being more than 50 nm, i.e. macropores
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/285 based on polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2220/82 Shaped bodies, e.g. monoliths, plugs, tubes, continuous beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/20 obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 41/14 obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/04 Acids; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 265/04 on to polymers of esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2207/10 Medical applications, e.g. biocompatible scaffolds
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2333/06 of esters containing only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the oxygen atom being present only as part of the carboxyl radical
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2333/14 of esters containing halogen, nitrogen, sulfur, or oxygen atoms in addition to the carboxy oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/142 Compounds containing oxygen but no halogen atom
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/066 containing -OH groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2813 Producing thin layers of samples on a substrate, e.g. smearing, spinning-on G01N1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2826 Collecting by adsorption or absorption

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to porous polymer monoliths. The present invention also relates to processes for the preparation of porous polymer monoliths, storage mediums formed from porous polymer monoliths and use thereof in the drying and storage of body fluids including blood and blood plasma samples.

Claims

1. Use of a porous polymer monolith as a medium for drying and storage of a body fluid.

2. Use according to claim 1, wherein the porous polymer monolith has an integral body with a pore size and/or specific surface area adapted to facilitate the drying and storage of body fluids.

3. Use according to claim 2, wherein the pore size of the porous polymer monolith is in the range of 5 to 10,000 nm and the specific surface area of the porous polymer matrix when measured by nitrogen adsorption using BET isotherm is in the range of 0.5 to 1000 m²/g.

4. Use according to claim 1, wherein the porous polymer monolith comprises a copolymer of a polyvinyl monomer and a monovinyl monomer.

5. Use according to claim 1, wherein the porous polymer monolith is formed from one or more acrylic acid monomers optionally functionalised with a group selected from sulphonyl, phosphonyl, carboxyl, amino and nitro.

6. Use according to claim 5, wherein the acrylic acid monomers are optionally functionalised methacrylates selected from at least one of hydroxyethylmethacrylate, methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylic acid, or combinations thereof

8. Use according to claim 1, wherein the porous polymer monolith is obtained from a polymerization mixture comprising about 10 to 40 vol % of a monovinyl monomer, 10 to 40 vol % of a polyvinyl monomer, about 20 to 80 vol % porogens, and about 1 vol % initiator.

10. Use according to claim 1, wherein the body fluid is blood or blood plasma.

7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11. A method of storing a body fluid for future analysis comprising:

applying a body fluid sample to a porous polymer monolith medium;

drying the body fluid such that the sample at least partially solidifies and adsorbs or adheres to the porous polymer monolith medium; and

storing the sample applied to the medium.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the drying of the body fluid is enhanced by application of at least one of elevated temperature and forced convection.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the elevated temperature is 90°

C. or above.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the identification and detection of an analyte from the stored body fluid sample adsorbed or adhered to the porous polymer monolith medium.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the stored body fluid sample is analysed without pre-treatment or removal from the porous polymer monolith medium.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the porous polymer monolith has an integral body with a pore size, or a specific surface area adapted to facilitate the drying and storage of body fluids, or both.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the pore size of the porous polymer monolith is in the range of 5 to 10,000 nm and the specific surface area of the porous polymer matrix when measured by nitrogen adsorption using BET isotherm is in the range of 0.5 to 1000 m²/g.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein the porous polymer monolith is formed from one or more acrylic acid monomers optionally functionalised with a group selected from sulphonyl, phosphonyl, carboxyl, amino and nitro.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the acrylic acid monomers are optionally functionalised methacrylates selected from at least one of hydroxyethylmethacrylate, methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylic acid, or combinations thereof.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the porous polymer monolith is obtained from a polymerization mixture comprising about 10 to 40 vol % of a monovinyl monomer, 10 to 40 vol % of a polyvinyl monomer-, about 20 to 80 vol % porogens, and about 1 vol % initiator.

26. The method according to claim 11, wherein the body fluid is blood or blood plasma.

12. A method of storing a body fluid for future analysis comprising:

applying one or more body fluid samples to one or more regions of a porous polymer monolith medium;

partially drying the one or more samples applied to the medium;

separating any one or more regions of the porous polymer monolith having sample applied thereto from regions without sample applied thereto;

further drying the one or more samples applied to the one or more regions of the medium;

and storing the one or more samples applied to the one or more regions of the medium.

16. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)